Negative Air Pressure Covers for Earthen Manure Storages

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Controlling odour is a major challenge affecting expansion of the livestock industry in Western Canada. Manure-storage facilities account for about 30 percent of the
complaints about livestock odours. Covering these facilities can reduce odour and gas emissions by 70 to 95 percent. This report describes the results of:
1. Field tests on a full scale prototype that demonstrated the concept of a negative air pressure (NAP) cover for earthen manure storages 2. A survey of neighbours living around two earthen storages covered with NAP covers 3. Monitoring of the manure quality in a NAP covered earthen storage.

Project Goals
The project goals were to: 1. Demonstrate and evaluate the performance of the negative air pressure cover system under field conditions; 2. Evaluate different ways to anchor the covera

Effect of dietary ideal amino acid ratios, and supplemental carbohydrase in hulless-barley-based diets on pig performance and nitrogen excretion in manure.

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Two experiments were conducted, using a total of 224 (112 barrows + 112 gilts) crossbred pigs, to determine the effect of dietary ideal amino acid ratios, and supplemental carbohydrase in hulless barley (HB) diets, on pig performance and N excretion in manure. The four experimental grower and finisher diets were 1) a covered-barley (CB) control diet, 2) a HB (cv. Condor) diet, 3) same as diet 2 except that the soybean meal was replaced with supplemental lysine, threonine, methionine and tryptophan, to provide ideal amino acid ratios of 0.65 for threonine to lysine and 0.30 for methionine to lysine, and 4) same as diet 3 with supplemental carbohydrase (Ronozyme W) enzyme at 350 g t-1. All diets were fed ad libitum as pellets with free access to drinking water. The average daily gain (ADG) was not different (P > 0.10) between diets 1 and 2, or among diets 2, 3 and 4 during the grower or finisher periods. The feed conversion efficiency was higher (P < 0.01) for diets 3 and 4 than for diet 2 during the grower period, but it was higher (P < 0.05) only for diet 4 than diet 2 during the finisher and combined grower-finisher periods. Backfat thickness, carcass index and dressing % were not different (P > 0.10) among the diets. The absorption of dry matter (88.9 vs. 83.7%) and energy (87.8 vs. 84.1%) was greater (P < 0.05) for diet 2 than diet 1. The excretion of faecal dry matter was 31.6% lower (P < 0.01) for diet 2 than diet 1 during the finisher period. The N excretion was 22.0% lower in pigs fed diet 3 than diet 2. Ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide concentration in stored manure were not different (P > 0.10) among the diets, but ammonia production was positively correlate with urinary N excretion. These results indicated that feeding HB diets with supplemental amino acids minimises the excretion of both faecal dry matter and N with no adverse effect on the performance of lean-genotype pigs.

Nutritional Value of Coastal Bermuda Grass in Swine

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This study was done to see the viability of Bermuda grass as part of swine producersa

Odor Control of an Anaerobic Lagoon with a Biological Cover: Floating Peat Beds

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Soil Sampling of Manured and Non-Manured Fields

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The application of crop nutrients to agricultural soils requires a determination of the existing nutrient status within the crop rooting zone, normally considered to be the top 60 cm. Nutrient levels within agricultural fields can vary considerably, both in area and vertically. In order to determine soil nutrient levels, many different sampling methodologies have been investigated by other researchers in the past. This study was initiated to investigate the nutrient status of agricultural soils in Manitoba that have a history of manure applications and to compare these soils to those that have not received manure. Soils characterized as fine (clays), moderately fine (tills) and coarse (sands) were studied. The sampling locations would be considered representative of soil landscapes commonly referred to as the Red River – Osborne, Newdale, and Almasippi soils. The variability in soil nitrate-nitrogen and phosphorous level was determined in a total of 27 fields, 80 acres in area. Six manured and three non-manured fields were investigated in each soil type. Three soil sampling procedures were conducted at each field location. The first consisted of individually sampling fifteen randomly selected sites identified with global positioning coordinates. The second involved taking a sub-sample from each of these fifteen sites for a single composite sample. The third procedure consisted of selecting, at the investigator’s discretion, two of the random sites to represent the whole field (benchmark sampling). The study found that manured fields have different nitrate-nitrogen and phosphorous fertility levels than non-manured fields. In general, manured fields had higher levels of nutrients, an indication that they have historically received higher level of nutrient applications. This is in agreement with previous studies by DGH Engineering Ltd. The need is apparent to implement manure nutrient management plans, under the supervision of a professional agrologist, that closely match nutrient supply to crop requirements. Nitrate-nitrogen and phosphorous levels varied considerably within each field. This variability was greater in manured fields than non-manured fields and at the soil surface (0 – 15 cm depth) as compared to the soil profile (0-60 cm). As a result, more samples were required to accurately determine soil nutrient status in manured fields, except for nitrate-nitrogen in clay soils. With the exception of tills, more samples are required to determine phosphorous than nitrate-nitrogen levels. Phosphorous levels were higher in manured fields for all soil textures. The phosphorous in both manured and non-manured fields was concentrated at the soil surface. Soil texture had an effect on fertility status. Clays had lower nitrate-nitrogen and higher phosphorous levels than tills and sands. Tills had higher nitrogen and lower phosphorous levels than sands. Landscape position had relatively little impact on nutrient status. In undulating topography (tills), and only in non-manured fields, the lower slope positions contained less nitrate-nitrogen than the mid and upper slopes. There was no difference in sampling accuracy between the analysis of fifteen individual samples and the analysis of a single composite sample from fifteen locations. The benchmark sampling method tended to produce different results at the soil profile depth (0 – 60 cm), particularly for phosphorous.

Measurement and analysis of atmospheric ammonia emissions from anaerobic lagoons

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Tracing Nitrate Transport and Environmental Impact from Intensive Swine Farming using Delta Nitrogen-15

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High yield manure information

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Wisconsin hog farmer Lynn Harrisona

Manure Management in Zero Till Systems

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A sound manure nutrient management plan requires knowing what is in the manure, availability of nutrients in the soil, manure nutrients and fertilizer to be applied to meet crop nutrient demand, strategy for application, and record keepping and monitoring. A sound long term approach to efficient and environmentally friendly use of manure nutrients is to apply at rates which balance with crop demand and use over time. In the short term, rates of manure appropriate for next year’s crop may be calculated based on the anlysis of the manure content and predicted availability of the manure nutrients to be applied along with a soil test and required rates for individual nutrients as used for application of commercial fertilizer.

With a source of fertilizer such as liquid swine manure in which much of the nitrogen is contained in immediately availbable plant form ammonium, similar to commercial fertilizer the application in late fall or spring is desirable in order to reduce the opportunity for conversion of ammonium to the nitrate form which is more suseptible to leaching and dentrification. To reduce the potential for losses, these manures should be applied as close to the timeof plant nutrient demand as possible. Some challenges are faced in dealing with manure as a fertilizrer and soil amendment, including the inherent variability in manure, its low nutrient content and constrictions in transportation and application technology.

Producing Quality Compost from Livestock Manure

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Composting is the aerobic (oxygen requiring) decomposition of manure or other organic materials in the thermophilic temperature range of 104 a